Kelp Forest Function Flashcards
Kelp General Characteristics(4)
Coastal (photic)
Structure forming (architectural)
Vertical (up and down in the water column)
Sessile (non-moving)
Kelp Anatomy
Holdfasts: this is what is holding the kelp to its substrate (no roots, no nutrient)
Stipe: central shaft, often hollow
Pneumatocysts: These are bulbs filled with gas for floatation (Carbon Monoxide)
Blades: This is where the majority of photosynthesis is concentrated
Structural Diversity of Kelp(3)
Kelp has divergent morphology to take advantage of different environments
Canopy, Stipitate and Prostate are some of the forms
Taxonomic Diversity
Low overall taxonomic diversity (few genera/species)
High structural and functional diversity
Kelp Primary Production
Very high
640-1800 grams of carbon fixed per m^2/year
Relative Growth Rate
Incredibly fast growth
On the level of phytoplankton
The maximum specific growth rate in a season of 0.29
Can double weight in a little over 2 days
Upwelling effect on kelp
The upwellings that occur north and south of the equator provide the ideal conditions for kelp growth
These occur on the west coasts of the continents
Overstory
Comprised of portions of large vertical kelp that are up in the water column
These form the kelp mats you see
2 Important Species locally: Bull Kelp and Giant Kelp
Understory
These form on the benthos below the overstory
Numerous species that make up this
Adds lots of biomass and habitat structure
ENSO Events and Kelp Forests
These form a periodic cycle where the kelp dies and bounces back very fast
How do El Niño events kill kelp (3)
Thermal stress
Physical damage
Increased turbidity (less light penetration)
Kelp life-cycle strategy
They form spores which make gametophytes
The gametophytes are free-living and can stay in this stage to wait out stressful events until better conditions arrive
They then release sperm and eggs to recolonize the better condition environment
